Calim's voice was barely audible as he held me in a tight embrace. "I should've told her I liked her all those years ago."

My hand raised to his back to pat away his sadness. "I'm sorry."

"If I had told her, maybe she would have waited for me."

"Don't do that to yourself. Nothing good comes out of thinking about what ifs."

"Maybe we would've gotten married after the war, and that baby would've been mine."

"Stop that." With a heavy heart, my arms tightened around his spiritless frame. I've never seen him this upset. This wouldn't have happened if—  My eyes screwed shut, and I stopped the exasperating train of thought. "Come on, let's sit down." Pulling away to place both hands on his shoulders. I guided him to an armchair, where he collapsed into the seat and hid his face behind his hands. "Come on, cheer up. You'll have other opportunities. Other girls who would love to go out with you."

Leyla's voice came from her place by the door. "Um, if I may. Chocolate cake always seems to cheer me up. Would you like a slice?"

The promise of chocolate cake made Calim shoot upright. "Yes, please!"

"Alright, would you like a glass of milk too?" She asked as she walked further into the manor.

Calim's sad expression turned to confusion when his gaze landed on Leyla. "Uh, yes. Thank You." Jabbing his thumb towards the hallway where Leyla's hurried steps faded into the distance, he mouthed, 'Who's she?'

"Leyla. My wife."

His eyes grew as large as saucers. "What? That's her? Your Missus?"

"Uh. Yeah."

Every trace of his heartbreak disappeared from his countenance when he exclaimed, "She looks so different! She's like a whole other person."

"Um. Yes"

"So?" A mischievous smile split his face. "You and the missus spending time together. Going around sightseeing like a couple of lovebirds."

"Um, I wouldn't—" Leyla's footsteps approached the foyer, and I caught myself before my words were misunderstood.

"Here you go" She handed a glass of milk and a plate to Calim. "Zander, do you want a piece, or are you going to wait for lunch?" Over her shoulder, Calim mouthed when her head was turned. 'Zander?'

Pretending not to see him, I responded, "I'll wait. Thank you, Leyla."

She turned to Calim. "Do you want anything else?"

"No, thank you for being so kind. I'm Calim." He outstretched his hand to shake Leyla's.

"Lehylany, it's so nice to finally meet you. I've been meaning to thank you for taking care of Iskander." She shot him a bright smile.

"No need to thank me, but dinner would be nice if you do." He responded with a grin.

I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes, and with a laugh, Leyla responded, "Of course, how about tomorrow?"

"Deal."

Taking one step back, she continued, "Well, I'll leave you two alone. If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen." Emerald flecked her honeyed eyes when they lifted to meet mine, and she added, "Lunch will be ready in ten. I'll wait for you in the dining room."

The glittering of her eyes turned my brain to mush, and I had no choice but to respond with a nod. The beauty of her iridescent gaze pulled my eyes to trail after her. Wishing for another glimpse of the light caught in her eyes.

"Pet names? Wow, this is more serious than I thought." Calim's voice— muffled by the spoonful of cake in his mouth— broke me out of Leyla's spell. "You're in a full-fledged relationship." A grimace twisted his lips, and he lifted another spoonful of the dessert to his mouth. "I'm so jealous!"

⚜⚜⚜

My thoughts were inaudible in the bustling bar. People sang, people chatted, and people swayed and danced to the music from the band playing on the small platform at the far end of the establishment.

"Thank you so much for coming here with me. I know how much you hate this type of hustle and bustle." Calim shouted over the noise and took a swig of his lager.

"Do you want anything, your grace?" The bartender asked, sliding another mug of lager into Calim's hand.

"Water, please."

"She is so smart, man. And so kind and so beautiful." A self-loathing sneer twisted his face. "I'm such a wimp. I should've asked her out when I had the chance." In one long gulp. He drank what was left of his first mug of lager. "I don't even know why I'm this upset. She didn't promise me anything. I don't think she even knew I existed." Fishing out an almond from the small dish in front of him, he added as he chewed. "Well, no, that's a lie. She did know who I was. I was the loser who stuttered every time she took my order."

"Come on, don't talk about yourself that way."

"No, no, no. It's the truth, and because of that, I'm going to be sad and alone for the rest of my life."

"No, Calim, you're not. You're going to move forward and continue to do whatever you desire. The rest will come in its due time. Trust me." With a comforting squeeze to his shoulder, I added, "Besides, if you need help finding someone. I can ask Ms. Huxley to have a room ready for you at the elderly care home. Where you will have enough ladies to woo at your disposal. And you know those ladies adore you."

He snorted and elbowed me in the ribs. "Ha-ha, very funny."

Three lagers, two ales, and a mug of cane rum later, we stood under the moonlight outside Calim's house.

"Keys, keys, keys, keys." Calim chanted, turning every pocket of his trousers inside out.

My arms and back strained under his weight. "Where are your keys, Calim?"

A drunken laugh spilled out his lips. "I don't know. They left and went somewhere."

"Come on, think, where are they? Did you leave them somewhere?"

"Hmm," Calim's gaze dragged around the front entrance of his home. "Oh!" His hand reached under a small potted plant and took out a key. "Spare." He giggled.

My feet tripped over several pieces of furniture in Calim's barely lit house as I half dragged his limp form down the hallway and into his room. "Why is your room so far away?"

Calim and his bed groaned in unison when he dropped into the mattress. "Stop complaining. You're a big man. You can carry me and a couple more people up and down that hallway without breaking a sweat."

"Uh-huh," I responded, slipping off his shoes.

Snatching them from my hands, he launched his boots to the other side of the room. "You're a good baby brother," He slurred while he settled himself in bed.

"Uh-huh," I reiterated, pulling the covers over his body.

"I knew since the first time we met that you were going to be my brother. I said you see that sad-looking chap over there. He's going to be my brother one day. And look at us now. It took some time, though. If it weren't for that pompous imp, we would have been friends quicker."

"Uh-huh."

Calim laid his head against his fluffed pillow. "I love you brother; say I love you too."

"I love me too," I smirked.

"Bah! You silly goose. Say you love your big brother." He demanded like an overgrown toddler.

Under my breath, I muttered, "I love you too, big brother."

"Yes!" He threw his arms up in victory. "And your wife, she's my sister now too. Tell her I love her too."

"Uh-huh,"

His eyes closed and he muttered, "Speaking about your missus, you better get going. If you come home late, she will lock you out; and you will have to sleep in the stables with your horse."

⚜⚜⚜

"I've never seen him this upset before," I told Leyla while we ate our sandwiches by the dim light of the lantern in the kitchen.

She poured two glasses of milk, and pushing one in front of me, she asked, "You made sure he went back home, right? He didn't go to another bar or anything like that?"

"Yes. I accompanied him back to his house. He was too drunk to stand, so I doubt he had any energy left to go somewhere else." I gulped a mouthful of milk. "By the way, sorry about lunch." With an apologetic grimace, I added, "and dinner."

"Don't worry about it. He needed a friend. I'm happy you were there to comfort him." Her fingers pinched and broke off the corner of her sandwich. "It's just so sad, you know?" Leyla's eyes inspected the small piece of bread and popping it into her mouth, she continued, "He seemed to really like her."

A sad smile came to my lips. "Yes. He wouldn't stop talking about her back at the campsite. Calim seems like a very outgoing and talkative person. But, he's actually quite shy when it comes to certain things."

"Let me guess. Things like asking a girl out?" She guessed with a small smile.

"Yes. That's why he waited so long to tell that girl how he felt. Or to tell you the truth, to tell anyone about it." A feeling long buried in the dark recesses of my soul bubbled up to the surface and I uttered, "But, you know, that's what war does. It takes away everything you hold dear. From your family to your hopes and dreams and everything in between." Gulping down my milk, I wished for something stronger in my glass to muddle the incoming onslaught of painful memories. Do we still have that huge bottle of vodka that Uriel sent me six years ago?

Leyla swirled the contents of her glass, and with a deep breath, she asked in a barely audible voice, "Is that what happened to your family? War?"

My whole being recoiled at her question, and my gaze withdrew to the window where the garden's pond reflected the night sky.

"You don't have to feel obligated to tell me anything. But it's good to get things out of your chest once in a while, trust me."

My lips pressed together, hyper-aware of the tough lump of skin on my bottom lip.

A warm hand was placed on my shoulder. "I'm sorry that I brought a bad memory to mind." Taking hold of the jam jar next to her, she continued, "Let's change the subject. How do you like this new jam? It's good, right? They brought it in to—" She was cut off by me taking the jar from her to place it back on the counter.

My heart thumped in my ears in the silence that took over the kitchen. With my eyes focused on the lacy end of Leyla's nightdress sticking out of the bottom of her robe, I exhaled, "Yes."